By REMODELING Magazine Staff. When architect Dean Brenneman needed to hide some ductwork in this whole-house renovation, he used a simple yet strong design solution. He purchased two six-panel doors to create "jambs" in the opening to cover the ducts on one side of the entry foyer and to mask the side of the hallway closet on the other side. Staff carpenters in the design/build firm crafted the matching ceiling panel on site, fitted it with cast aluminum registers from Reggio Registers, and painted over them.
More than just masking the mechanicals and the closet, Brenneman likes how this solution separates the vestibule from the living area. "It makes a gracious transition from the formal entry to the informal circulation area," Brenneman says. He uses the "portal" detail in many of his designs to mask the thickness of walls. In another design, he recycled closet doors from the existing house for the jamb.
Project designed and built by Brenneman & Pagenstecher, Kensington, Md.
Two six-panel doors mask ductwork on one side of this portal and the side of a hall closet on the other. The "jambs" also create a separation of two spaces and a gracious transition from foyer to living room. Custom ceiling panels that match the doors are fitted with cast aluminum return air registers.
